Switching Places: Part 1 of the Clones Series
by Arashi4
Summary: Kenji's clone, Tate comes to take his place from him...what's a teenage mole boy to do? Chapter2= sorry but the *s didn't come through Chapter 4= Tate said Can't put two and two together, not can Chapter 7= Uriko shooK not shooT The story is done, pleas
1. The dream

The only characters in this story that are mine are Sulia and Tate, please don't try to sue me for anything. I have no money and get no money!   
  
Switching Places  
  
"N-No way," Uriko screeched in panic. She couldn't transform now, not only was it not possible, but there wasn't a fight. The area around her was a swirling, mass less, dreamscape and it only made Uriko a bit tenser. The woman before her had very long, snow-white hair and blood red eyes. "Why are you telling me this information anyway," Uriko asked her. "I remembered your file," she replied simply, "I live in the lab."  
  
"Ok...I believe you," Uriko said, feeling whatever feelings of trust for the woman that she had shrink. Why was a lab pet helping her? It just seemed...fishy! The world Uriko was in began to vanish with the woman who brought it, when Uriko yelled, "Hey, wait! Who are you?!" The woman turned around and smiled, replying with these words before becoming nothingness, "Sulia...or project phoenix."   



	2. A poem and a problem

Tate is the only person that belongs to me. I'd never be good enough to create the BR characters. Sorry if anyone seems ooc.  
  
Kenji sat quietly at the back of the writing class. There had been an assignment to write a poem about something that was important to you, and some flake was up there reading a poem she wrote about her shoes. Uriko was giggling at something, Kenji figured it was a friend, or the pathetic ness of the flake's poem. He smirked, thinking Uriko would be so angry with him, but it was worth it. That was because he had written a poem about Uriko, and had gotten flowers to hand her to boot. Kenji got before the class, when his time came and began reading for all of the room to hear.  
  
  
Uriko's jaw had dropped and she was speechless as Kenji made some flowers appear from, what seemed to be, nowhere. After Kenji sat down Uriko recovered herself and growled a little. "Kenji," Uriko grumbled, "I'll get you. Oversized rodent..." Even though she said that she was purring so hard in her heart. She was embarrassed, that was all.  
  
  
Kenji sat across from Uriko at the lunch table, studying her closely. Uriko seemed to begin feeling a little awkward over how hard he was looking. "Kenji," she said, blushing a little, "What are you thinking about?" "Something is on your mind today," he replied, "and I don't mean the little surprise I gave you in class today...something...serious." "Serious," Uriko asked, "Oh, yeah. Some woman was in my dreams last night...warning me about something."   
  
"Warning you about what," he pushed her to continue. "Clones..." she answered, "but she was a lab pet herself...how can we be sure we can trust her?" "I guess there's no way," Kenji said, with a concerned look and a shrug, "We won't know until something happens..." Uriko sighed and continued eating her lunch. "Well let's hope it doesn't cost us," she muttered. "Don't worry Riko," Kenji whispered while looking her in the eyes and putting a hand on her shoulder, "It'll be fine."   
  
Uriko blushed again and shoved her self further into her outer appearance of busily eating. Ahhhh... she thought if we weren't in school I'd give him such a BIG kiss right now. Damn school's rules on intimate contact! The bell rang sometime later and Uriko shook her head. "Well see ya' later Kenji," she called as they went their separate ways. "Bye Riko," he yelled back over the rushing crowd.  
  
  
"Darn," Kenji grumbled to himself, "last period and the teacher keeps us behind to do cleaning duty...I hope Uriko doesn't get worried."  
  
  
Uriko sat on the school's steps, looking a bit fidgety. "What's going on," she wondered out loud, "Kenji's never late...I hope nothing happened to him...maybe I should check the nurse's office." "Wait," said a familiar voice behind her. Uriko turned around to see Kenji standing there, and seemed a little surprised. "How'd you-" "A teacher asked me to do something so I took the back door," he answered, "sorry for being late." "Oh," Uriko replied, "that explains it all."  
  
Then Uriko felt something. It felt odd, and she couldn't put her fingers on it. Something wasn't right. She looked at Kenji for a moment, and saw that look he always gave her when he was studying her, so very closely. "Kenji," she asked, "Do you know something ELSE now?" Kenji's ability to hone in on her thoughts and feelings made her nervous at times like this. Kenji just shook his head and answered, "Sorry I worried you." Then they left together, with Uriko still feeling something was very off.   



	3. Something mysterious, this way came

(Areas with in ()s are thoughts from now on, as long as they are in the story)  
  
Uriko was walking home with Kenji. Everything seemed normal, except that unshakeable feeling that something was wrong. Kenji walked her home, just like most days, and they talked just the same, as well. A completely normal day happened, even though Uriko's instincts told her it shouldn't be so. Uriko's mind screamed as she wondered what the heck was happening to her.  
  
"Uriko," He asked suddenly, "everything ok?" "Huh," she laughed nervously and said, "Yeah, I guess I just have a case of bad nerves." Then they reached her front door and they had their good bye kiss, but something was different. His hand was carefully slipping under her shirt. Surprised by the sudden move, Uriko jumped back and nearly banged against the house.   
  
"Kenji," she'd yelped in surprise. Kenji looked confused, but just stood there, waiting for her to calm down. "Kenji," she continued, "what-was-that?" "Sorry," he replied, "I just felt-" "Kenji..." Uriko growled, "We're OUTSIDE where ANYONE can see us...and you haven't even done more than hug and kiss me. That's to much..." Kenji just nodded, apologized, and left.  
  
~Later~  
  
"It was so strange," Uriko said to Alice, "He was trying to grope me or something...that's not like him..." "You're right," said Alice, "maybe its just puberty taking a strong toll on him?" "That still doesn't seem like Kenji..." Uriko replied, "I hope I didn't offend him." "Well if you did he's got problems," Alice answered in a quite serious tone. "And if he tries anything by force," Mitsuko cut in from the kitchen, "I'll be sure he learns a lesson." "Mom," Uriko groaned, "He's not like that...not at all." "I know dear," Mitsuko replied, "but you should be prepared for anything if he doesn't seem like himself."   
  
~That Night~  
  
Uriko sat staring at her bedroom ceiling. (I can't see this straight...) she thought (Kenji just isn't that type, but what Alice said could make sense. I still don't see it that way, though...could Kenji have been. I have to talk to him)  
  
~Else Where~   
  
Kenji sighed and plopped on to a couch. (I hope I didn't worry Uriko too much today. I'll probably pay for that later.) "Hey bro," called Yugo, "Something up?" "No," Kenji yelled back, "its ok!"   
  
What Kenji didn't know was, he wasn't as ok as he thought. Someone was watching him from a nearby tree outside the window. A bit of moonlight shined off of an object that the person held, and it could be seen smirking. "Soon," it said, "We'll be seeing each other VERY soon...Kenji..."  
  
Kenji looked out the window after thinking he heard something, but nothing was there to be seen. Kenji shook his head and sat down. "I think I am beginning to imagine things," he said to himself, "I'm becoming too nervous with this clone thing going on." At that he closed the shutters and went up to bed. The person in the tree followed, up the tree as well, not letting Kenji have a chance to escape its sights.  
  
"You ARE mine Kenji," the person whispered to itself, "Ready to die?"   



	4. The mirror

(Tate and Sulia are my only created characters, the others are not mine)  
  
Kenji was woken by a skill of alertness equal to the skill of stealth that his would be murderer was using. He jumped out of his bed, away from the person who'd come into his window, somehow. Kenji noticed the moonlight gleam off of the object this person had; it was a pair of very large claws. When Kenji got a clear view of the person, it wasn't a person at all. A different over grown rodent was in to kill him.   
  
"Who the heck are you," asked Kenji, "you look like a mouse zonathrope of some sort. What the hell do I have to do with you?" "Look close enough and you might put the puzzle together yourself," the voice taunted, "mole boy." "Only Uriko calls me that," Kenji yelled, "How the hell did you know?" The other's long, but small, kangaroo like leg moved closer to Kenji. "I guess you can put two and two together since it's dark in here..." it replied, "after all...I'm not a mole like you."   
  
Then Kenji was struck with a realization, the voice that was speaking to him was almost his own, but with an airiness to it. He wondered if could he already be facing his clone? The would-be killer rushed forward, nearly taking Kenji by surprise. Kenji jumped into the air and kicked the opponent in the head really hard. Kenji felt a paw wrap around his, still human, leg and toss him back to the ground. The opponent lifted off the ground a little, on what looked like a tiny lion's tail.   
  
"Kenji," Yugo's voice yelled over all the banging of their combat, then his footsteps were heard, and lights were turning on. Kenji's opponent cursed and used his tail to flip out of the window. When Yugo got there the only signs of a struggle was a little blood on the floor. "Hey what happened, Bro," he asked. "Yugo," Kenji answered, "I think it my turn to fight my mirror image."  
  
~Later that same night~   
  
"It figures, a clone could never do a man's job, even if he WAS told to," a familiar voice that was painful to the ears to listen to was taunting, "if you wouldn't go on your own missions and would stay to do your own, you might get some where." "I HAVE to kill him," the voice of Kenji's opponent replied, "I NEED to see him die...why should I have to deal with having a double? Seeing his pure, tortured, painful expression and the blood flow as he is dieing will just be an added plus."  
  
The opponent, who looked like Kenji, was speaking to the ever-annoying Busuzima, and he was wearing all black, with some gray. The Kenji clone got up and began to leave, and Busuzima interrupted. "Tate, if you don't listen this time I'll have to punish you somehow," the lizard man's voice crackled. "So be it," the clone answered, "I'd rather be punished than listen to you anymore!" Busuzima was highly angered by that comment, but Tate had disappeared to quickly for him to pursue.   
  
The beautiful, womanly figure of Sulia walked in to the room after Tate's departure. "That's precisely why I wish you wouldn't make clones lord Busuzima," she said, "they are so rebellious...and they want nothing more than to see the original's blood. Its just pain upon more pain..." Busuzima had raised the lab experiment to call him things like lord or master. It just served to make him feel more powerful and egotistical, but he didn't know how much disobedience there was in his home made toy. Unlike others she didn't have a shred of dislike toward Busuzima because he was repulsive, or did anything wrong to her, and he had most likely done PLEANTY of wrong things to her. She just didn't like how he hurt other people at all.  
  
"The difference is," Busuzima, replied, "This one thinks he is the original right now. He thinks that Kenji stole his life when it's the other way around."   



	5. Things seen backward

(I shouldn't have to remind you who's mine and who isn't ^.^)  
  
Uriko saw Kenji at school the next day. "Kenji, what happened to you yesterday," she asked. "I got held behind in science class," he answered, "and then I was attacked by what was most likely my clone...the only difference was he was a kangaroo rat instead of a mole." "What the heck," Uriko asked in surprise. "I guess Busuzima made some adjustments to him," he replied.   
  
~Later on~  
  
Uriko was outside, enjoying a little warmth between classes, when Kenji appeared beside her. "Hello Kenji," she said, simply. "Hi," he replied back, just as simply. That's when it hit Uriko. She stopped and stared right at him. The voice, she noticed the difference now, his voice was much more airy that Kenji's. "What are you trying to do," she asked, glaring at him. Before he could answer the real Kenji appeared. "Get away from Uriko," Kenji threatened him. "Guess I'm found out now," Tate said without much worry to his voice, "I'm here to take my life back!"   
  
"What," they both asked in surprise. "I'll kill you Kenji," he growled, "but not here...I'll let you finish class first!" At that Tate was gone in smoke. "Damn," Kenji reacted, "who does he think he is?"   
  
~Else where~  
  
Busuzima made some plans for more testing and snickered. Sulia looked over his shoulder, looking grim. "Master," she said in a near whine, "Why do you continue to do these things?" Busuzima didn't answer, but continued working contently. Sulia seemed worried.  
  
~Later~  
  
Tate sat on the school's roof, looking up at the clouds. "I still don't understand," he said, "If Kenji took my life from me...why does it seem so unlikely? Everyone seems to know Kenji and Uriko loves Kenji...and no one seems to know Tate exists...on top of that I can't remember ANYTHING before Freakzima popping up and claiming he rescued me from Kenji. Why can't I remember if it's MY life?!" "Don't bug yourself with the pacifics BOY," Busuzima roared in to his thoughts, "remember what I told you!"   
  
"Ok, ok," Tate, replied in annoyance. He decided he didn't feel like dealing with Kenji at the moment, after all. He'd wait till later that night, when he'd had time to think. While Tate's thoughts were occupied with other things something walked by without him realizing it. As he left the school it headed right for it. It was also heading right for Uriko. Its mission was, take Uriko to Busuzima for further analysis, and get it done as soon as possible.   



	6. Uriko's in trouble! Who's to blame?

(Exile, Tate, and Sulia are all mine)  
  
Kenji looked shocked. It was after school that night and Uriko hadn't been waiting for him. When he asked Mitsuko about it she said that Uriko hadn't came home yet. He wondered if it was something of his clone's doings. "Damn it," he cursed at himself, "I wasn't there..."   
  
~Later on~  
  
Tate came to Kenji like he said he would, but he was hit with the first surprise. "What the HELL did you do to Uriko," Kenji yelled accusingly. "Do to Uriko," Tate asked, "What the bloody blazes are you talking about?!" Kenji growled and said, "Don't play dumb with me!" " BUT I'M NOT," Tate yelled back. Something about Tate's reaction made Kenji ponder. "Fine...where is she," he asked. "I don't know," Tate replied, "Why would I do anything to her?" "You-aren't-stable," Kenji barked at Tate, "why else?!"   
  
Tate shook his head. "Ok," he said, "So I'm not, BUT I wouldn't hurt her..." Tate looked Kenji straight in the eyes and showed no signs of lying at all. "I seriously wouldn't hurt her," he practically swore. "Fine..." Kenji said calming down a little, "but I'd better not see you near her again."  
  
~Later~  
  
Kenji was looking over Uriko's usual waiting spot, when he saw something that caught his eye. "Fur," he said in surprise. He picked it up and studied it closely. "What the heck did it come from," he wondered, "It looks orange...maybe a tiger...or a fox..." "It is dhole," a voice in his head told him. "Who and who the-," he started. "Don't bother with that," said the voice, which was Sulia's, "Master Busuzima sent a man that works for him, called Exile, to get Uriko. I will give you the directions to the lab...I'm the one that warned Uriko."   
  
~At the lab~  
  
"You stop Busuzima and it never fails," grumbled Kenji, "he just pops up again. I'm beginning to wonder if HE has clones and no one knows the difference." Kenji looked around, but everything seemed empty. Suddenly the sound of a violin was heard playing nearby. The room was dark and Kenji struggled to see where it was coming from. The music stopped and a figure stood up, putting down the violin.   
  
"You must be here to help the little cat girl," the figure observed, "if that is so, then I am your opponent." "So you are Exile," Kenji replied, "give Uriko back, or face the consequences!" "I don't think so dear boy," the Russian said as he aimed a gun, "you won't be here to serve that..." He shot the gun near Kenji's foot to assure him that his gun WAS loaded and began to shot a REAL shot, when Busuzima spoke up suddenly. He'd come from a hidden door in the wall, so that's why it seemed so empty. "Give me sometime with the boy too, will you," Busuzima said angrily.   
  
  
Busuzima and Exile both began attacking Kenji unfairly. Busuzima versus Kenji would have been a fair fight, but Exile was in on it too, and using a gun. As if that wasn't enough Tate suddenly jumped in, in his beast form. He rushed toward the 2 on 1 in a mad dash, preparing to beat someone down, and hard. The question is, who?  



	7. More of Busuzima's bumbling efforts...

Tate slammed his small kangaroo like feet on to Busuzima's head. "Ow," Busuzima yelled in surprise, "you little jumping rodent, how dare you kick your savior?" "How dare I," Tate retorted, "you captured Uriko, and you ask how dare I?!" Tate launched himself into Busuzima's chest, nearly sending them both through the wall. "What kind of sick, twisted person are you," he asked, "I still don't see how a person like you saved me from Kenji!"   
  
Meanwhile Exile had put away his gun and was trading hand-to-hand blows with Kenji. Exile's blonde hair was becoming dirtied and his blue eyes were full of an icy determination. He couldn't let himself fail to do as he was told. He did as he was assigned to, no matter if his target was man, beast, woman, child, or baby. "You are going to end here young mole," Exile said in his Russian accent, as he became his beast form. Kenji changed at well, and it became a battle of tooth and claw.   
  
Busuzima's laugh was heard loudly over all the battling chaos. "I didn't save you runt," Busuzima laughed, "I CREATED you! You exist only to crush Kenji and the others that get in my way!" "Heck no," Tate replied, "There's no way I'm here because of a freak show like you!" "Think again, Sherlock," Busuzima yelled happily, "I brain washed you and made you think everything you did about Kenji taking your life from you, and me saving you from him...but now your attitude is unacceptable, and I plan to destroy you!" "Not if I don't destroy you first Freakzima," Tate yelled, as he pounded at Busuzima's face, punching him over and over and over again.   
  
Busuzima began morphing and wrapped his tail around Tate's neck, since he was so over taken by rage that he didn't think about that. Tate gurgled in surprise and began trying to pry the tail away with his clawed hands.   
  
~Elsewhere~  
  
Uriko shoot her head, and growled. "I can't believe that red dog got the best of me," she spat. "Shh," Sulia warned her as she untied the restraints they had on Uriko, "They'll hear you..." "Who cares," the half-beast asked in anger, "let me get those-" "If they find out I helped you I don't know how severely master Busuzima would punish me for it," Sulia whispered, "I've never helped anyone escape..." "Wait," Uriko said, in surprise, "You are Sulia, aren't you?" Sulia nodded and carefully did some hand motions while speaking and touching Uriko's forehead.   
  
"You healed me, didn't you," Uriko asked after noticing her pain fade away, and the tired look on Sulia's face, "I don't understand...You seem to be loyal to that weirdo, but you are helping us at the same time..." "He created me completely...I am not human or clone," Sulia replied, "I am not sure what I am but I feel a need to help others, and still keep in my creator's good graces..." "Well you definitely have more loyalty than I ever would," Uriko observed, "No offence, but I don't know rather to call you impressive or extremely naive and ignorant." "No offence taken," Sulia answered simply.   
  
Suddenly the wall shook a bit and Sulia looked worried. "You should hide Uriko," she suggested, "if you must join in wait for a few moments." After that Sulia seemed to have disappeared.   
  



	8. Battle Chaos, Uriko and Tate are in dang...

(I don't remember if the BR casts ever used telepathy but I use it at times while they are in beast form.)  
  
Tate looked up into the light. Where the heck was he? He had a deep pain in his neck and felt a warm wetness all about him. The light kept flickering off and on in huge bangs. Then he finally came to enough to realize a storm was upon them, but there wasn't a drip in the roof. He felt the back of his head and neck and winced. What ever had happened, he'd been bashed pretty hard.   
  
~Earlier~   
  
Tate had been tossed through the wall by Busuzima's tail, and the impact of the hit combined with the grip Busuzima had on his neck almost caused him to lose his head. Tate was out cold and Busuzima only continued his attack, bashing Tate violently against the ground. Kenji would jump Busuzima once he got the time to get away from Exile, he may have had a high disliking for Tate's interference into his life, but he couldn't let him die. He'd been brainwashed anyway...  
  
Uriko suddenly FLEW from her hiding place, ready to give Exile a bit of pay back, and she went just for what she thought might bother him the most. Uriko's half-beast kitty claws met Exile's handsome, red, doggy face, raking at one of his eyes and his nose. Exile yelped, dropping his gun and staggering backward, hand over his scratched eye. (D-d-damn....) he whimpered, (t-that'll leave a scar...) (You shouldn't have kidnapped me pretty boy) Uriko yelled in a telepathic reply. Exile growled and shook his head. (You won't get away with that one brat) he yelled, (YOU WON'T GET AWAY!)  
  
Kenji flipped toward Busuzima and jumped, GIANT claws first, at his tail. Busuzima's tail was cut off and fell, bloodlessly to the floor, still twitching with a life all it's own. Kenji ignored it and began his fight with the lizard freak.   
  
~At the present~   
  
Uriko landed in front of Tate in her attempts to out run Exile. Tate coughed and looked up. "Are you alright," he asked. (I won't be if I can't get this giant mutt away from me) she answered in a little bit of a panic. Exile was looking for her like a mad man, practically looking as though he'd foam at the mouth in any moment. (YOU DIE CAT GIRL) he was yelling as he searched slowly, yet chaotically, throwing tables, boxes, chairs, or any other inanimate objects that got in the way, (YOU ARE MINE!!!)   
  
"Gaw..." Tate remarked hesitantly, "he MUST be TICKED...I've never seen him act so wild! He's got a gentelmanish complex, ya' know?" (No) Uriko replied (I didn't 'till he became this way.) Uriko studied the bloodied spots on the floor and Tate's hand...it looked bad. (Are you ok) she asked him. Tate only nodded slowly, looking all the more dizzy and tired. (You've gotta have a pretty large crack in your skull...) Uriko observed, (he threw you through a brick wall HEAD first, and your bleeding pretty badly now...)   
  
Busuzima flicked his long, fly catching tongue out at Kenji, and seemed to have hit him, but suddenly Kenji's image went all flickery, and he disappeared, with a log taking his place. (Hmmmmm) Busuzima thought to himself (Using his ninjitsu cheat skills, is he? We'll see about that!) Busuzima became invisible, but just before he had time to make a move, Kenji dropped in, delivering a hard kick to the "crown" of Busuzima's head. Busuzima reappeared; looking stunned and disappeared again quickly.   



	9. It is done...for now, but Tate wonders.....

Exile came into the room where Uriko had been held captive before. (So this is where you are) Exile thought (I'll enjoy this...) Uriko and Tate stood up, ready to fight. "You won't touch her, mutt," Tate yelled. (Ohhh...a little traitorous, aren't we) Exile asked in a tone of amusement (But you don't seem to be in the condition to talk battle!) "Stay away," a voice yelled.   
  
Exile looked around in confusion. (Who-) he thought, getting cut off by a sudden attack from Uriko and Tate at once. (DAMN!) he yelled. (What's wrong, don't like your own techniques being used against you) Uriko asked angrily. "Stop it," the voice called. Tate and Uriko stopped and started looking for the source of the voice themselves. Then Kenji came to them, looking a bit worn and back in human form. "What's going on," he asked. (I think Sulia is trying to stop the fight...) Uriko thought. "Well the weirdo seems to have ditched this party," Kenji remarked, "and so has the low life mutt..."   
  
Tate and Uriko both looked behind themselves in surprise. Exile and Busuzima HAD both deserted the fight. "Figures," Kenji commented, "They either stay and take it, only to get up again later...or they run." "Damn," Tate hissed, "Freakzima will always find some way out of his own hole, won't he?! I wish that people like him wouldn't exist!!!" "But then you wouldn't," the intruding voice replied. "That's kind of the point..." Tate said quietly. Sulia came out of her hiding, reaching toward Tate. "Let me heal that wound, please..." she requested. Tate nodded slowly, feeling a bit faint again.   
  
Uriko became her human form again and smiled. "Sulia," she spoke up, "Thank you...for helping so much..." "You don't have to thank me," she replied, "I do it because I want to...I feel so...good...when I help others that are in pain as I have been." "Sulia...Please," Uriko asked, "come with us...I can't stand thinking of what Busuzima is doing to you..." "I can't do that to my master..." she replied, "as much as it pains me to refuse your offer."   
  
Kenji hugged Uriko and seemed as though he weren't very pleased with Sulia for refusing her offer. There was only silence between all four of them for a while, until Kenji spoke up. "We should go before that creep gets another bad idea," he said, "Tate...if you REALLY need somewhere to stay you can stay at my place..." "Thanks," Tate replied as Uriko, Kenji, and himself begin to leave.   
  
Tate felt some hard feeling building the further he walked, and suddenly he just stopped and started thinking. (Why are we here?) he thought (Why are we what we are? Why do they continuously create us...only to throw us out as rejects or to destroy us? What use are we? We aren't even human beings!) He felt the hard feeling getting harder and harder, and it started to feel like he was burning up inside. (Or ARE we...really?) he continued (I can't go...it's not right! Something is holding me back...and I know JUST what that something is!)   
  
Tate stopped and turned around, going back to the lab. "Tate," Kenji yelled, "What the hell are you doing?" "I can't go yet..." he replied, "Go on without me if you feel you have to, but I have unfinished business here." Uriko and Kenji didn't have a clue of what he was talking about, but they understood that he had a need to do some final tasks in his birthplace before he would feel better. They knew...because they too were once awaken to the fact that they were science projects...  



	10. Tate's thoughts...a sad ending?

(The poem that Tate is thinking of is one that I wrote, called "The Day the Magpie Cried"...I dunno why...but I felt that those lines were a good thing to quote at the time)   
  
~Tate's memories ~  
  
Exile's handsome human face was seen looking into a tank. "What's this one called," he asked someone that wasn't visible to the viewer. "That is Tate..." Busuzima's voice replied, "He's clone 004." "Humph..." Exile grunted as he shook his head, "these clones...they are so...an unoriginal idea..." "Who cares about original," Busuzima croaked, "all I want is lethal and loyal." "So where does that artificial girl come in," Exile asked, "she's not...how you say...violent?"   
  
"She's just a test of the zonathrope's capabilities to use healing abilities," he answered, "not my idea, but she is NICE to have around!" Busuzima's voice and face seemed twisted in the most horrible fashions as he said that, and Exile looked shocked, disturbed, and disgusted. Later on the walked out and Sulia's face was seen looking into the tank. The tank, of course, was the one Tate came to life in.  
  
As she looked in at him he felt so calm and peaceful...as if a cloud had washed over him. His first true thoughts were that he was happy to see a good face... Especially, one so serene and beautiful... After that he didn't seem to have many thoughts of his own. Busuzima planted every thing into his mind, and all that still nagged at him was the fact that he wanted to be with Uriko. He wanted to do all the things that Kenji had most likely done, or wanted to do. He ached for Uriko and didn't understand why.   
  
~In the present~  
  
He knew it would never be. He also knew it was probably another thing implanted into his mind by Busuzima, and he'd probably get over the nagging longing some day. If he didn't he may as well disappear from existence. However, there was another side to his thinking. He didn't quite understand, but he knew something was wrong with him.   
  
He couldn't let Sulia be there to face Busuzima's disgusting wrath ever again. He couldn't let Sulia be all by herself anymore. He couldn't let Sulia waste her life on people that might not care, or would kill themselves anyway. He couldn't let Sulia hide from the rest of the world. Most of all, he couldn't let Sulia go without someone who might understand. He would drag Sulia out if he had to; Busuzima was no master to live to serve for. Tate planned to stop this, as his first duty to feel more like a true human.   
  
He arrived in the lab and searched to find it a bit empty. Except for some departing prisoners that'd been freed, Sulia was nowhere to be found. Tate kicked at the ground and cursed at himself, as the lab began crumbling down from the assaults of the freed experiments. (Alas, all is gone...All is dead...and All is done...) Tate remembered some lines from a poem in his mind. He watched his birthplace fall, all the freed people fled, nearly making it resemble a forest fire, save that those escaping were happy. (I guess I was too late) he thought, as he went to rejoin Uriko and Kenji.  



	11. The happy couple

Kenji, Tate, and Uriko were in front of Uriko's house. "Well," Kenji said, "I guess this is where we say good night." "Yeah," Uriko replied in a little bit of regret. Then the two started kissing and Tate looked away. After some time Kenji had slipped some tongue in, and a little later they broke the kiss. "Wow, Kenji," Uriko announced, "you are getting a bit bolder!" Kenji blushed a little and looked down. "Uh..." he mumbled, "I'm sorry..."   
  
"No," Uriko corrected, "that was great! Do it more often!" Kenji smiled and Tate sighed, when a familiar voice caught Tate's ear. "Sulia," he asked himself. Sulia came out to see them and bowed. "Sorry Tate," she said, "I heard you were looking for me...but I was busy with some last minute things while the lab was burning down..." "That's ok," Tate replied. Sulia was holding some papers in one hand and looked at them, and then at Tate. "What did you wish to speak to me about," she asked him.   
  
"Well," the clone started out, "I wanted to convince you to give the world a chance... If Busuzima can't take you having a life, then to blazes with him!" Sulia began to say something but Tate held up a hand, signaling her to wait. "You shouldn't go through that just because you aren't a natural born human," he continued, "you should live on like anyone else..." "But I'm not-," she said, being shooshed by Tate. "What's it matter if we are or aren't human," he asked, "We aren't the only ones that aren't."   
  
Kenji and Uriko nodded. "He's right," Uriko said, "don't let yourself be slave to the idea that you are a thing...it's not true..." Sulia nodded slowly, looking at the papers again. "Sulia I..." Tate hesitated, "I've felt some strange...peaceful connection to you...ever since I first saw you...I don't know what it is, but...I can't stand by and let you suffer." Uriko caught a glance of the papers that Sulia held, and noticed that they were Sulia and Tate's experimentation files. She'd been so busy in the burning lab getting TATE's files!   
  
Uriko's face lit up and she gave Kenji a huge hug around his neck. "I think I know what it is," she said, "it sounds like you two are in love, or pretty close to it!" Tate turned red at the mention of the word, while Sulia just seemed confused by it's meaning. "Love," she asked, "what is love? Is that what I have been feeling for so long?"   
  
~Months later~  
  
Tate had changed his hairstyle, to the relief of Kenji and himself. Though they still dressed alike, the difference in hair made it simple to tell them apart. Tate now had his hair hanging normally and cut at a downward angle. We all know Kenji and Uriko were happy of course...but did Tate and Sulia work out? That's something to find out in the stories to come.   
  
T  
h  
End  



	12. Please look at this stuff

Credits to...  
  
-Christi, AKA Keniko Princess, for asking for a fic and trying to help me along...   
-Nichole, AKA Galaxy, for giving me the idea for the possible solution of Tatlia to the Kenji VS Tate problem.  
-Everyone who read this stuff and made suggestions instead of telling me to get help ^.^  
  
Thanks to...  
  
-Everyone who read and didn't flame me  
-Everyone who suggested and gave opinions  
-My books, paper, and pencil...because if it weren't for them I'd be insane now  
-All those teachers and friends who encouraged me, even at my worst  
  
No thanks to...  
  
-Anyone that flames me  
-The "friends" that never even tell me hello anymore  
  
Other stuff...  
  
-This story is finished but please continue to give me your suggestions and opinions...and keep checking...there's always the small chance that I'll add extra chapters to this story that expand on certain parts of the story, or other stuff like related stories, and alternative endings...hmmm ^.^  
  
Plans for upcoming parts to the Clones Series...(suggestions and opinions wanted badly for both...I also don't want to give away any secrets though)  
  
-Part 2...  
  
Possible titles: Jaded Egypt, Jade ties; any suggestions would be HIGHLY appreciated  
Possible rating: PG 13+  
Genre: Romance/action/adventure  
Possible BR Character appearances: Uriko, Kenji, Gado, Jenny, Mitsuko, Yugo, Alice, Busuzima  
Possible made up character appearances: Orehon, Tate, Sulia   
Setting: near the end of the school year, same year as Switching Places, probably after BR3   
Possible Story: What happens when Busuzima makes a clone of HIMSELF that he plans to make born as a child and raised quickly, instead of the usual instant age thing, and everything goes against plans? Everything about the clone is wrong, ESPECAILY the fact that the sex chromosomes some how got screwed up and caused a GIRL. On top of that the clone has escaped and taken flight to Egypt, where she begins her own breed of havoc and just enjoying the heat, reptilian style. If that doesn't sound chaotic enough... Kenji and Uriko are off to Cairo on a school trip, and Gado and Jenny are dropping in to make sense of all the chaos that has came in to Egypt on a anonymous tip that is was a zonathrope related activity.   
  
  
-Part 3...  
  
Possible titles: None yet, help me PLEASE ^.^  
Possible rating: PG+  
Genre: mystery/ not yet known  
Possible BR character appearances: Stun (YAY!!!), Busuzima (no I don't like him, he's just connected to clones all the time), Long, Shenlong   
Possible made up character appearances: Ayea, Arula,   
Setting: After or during part 2  
Possible story: Ayea stumbles upon a VERY well kept Tylon secret experiment...so secret that nether of the subjects OR Busuzima ever knew about it. This may explain the reasons to Ayea's genius...and more reasons Tylon was so desperate to get her to join them. This also is the story of a clone made before Busuzima's cloning days.   



End file.
